The present invention relates to a computer-based, personal virtual assistant for managing communications and information, whose behavior can be changed by the user and whose behavior automatically adapts to the user.
Mobile professionals, such as physicians, attorneys, sales representatives and other highly mobile professionals often find it difficult to communicate with clients, customers, colleagues and assistants. These mobile professionals travel frequently and are not accessible via a desk telephone or traditional, wired computer network. They typically employ human assistants to relay important information, maintain their schedules and filter out all unnecessary interruptions. The virtual assistant of the present invention allows the mobile professional to access personal, company, and public information, including contacts, schedules, and databases from any interactive device, such as telephone.
Electronic assistants with voice interfaces are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,789 to Miner, et al. discloses a method implemented by a computer-based electronic assistant to receive and manage incoming calls to a subscriber. The electronic assistant in Miner, however, does not disclose a virtual assistant whose underlying behavior can be changed by the user or who has any degree of automatic adaptivity.
Voice response systems (VRS) that automatically adapt to the user are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,608 to O""Sullivan discloses an interactive VRS that automatically adapts to suit the speed at which the caller interacts with the system. The VRS disclosed in O""Sullivan is programmed to measure the response times of the caller and adjust the playing speed of the application dialogue""s voice messages accordingly using an algorithm incorporated into the application software of the voice response system. Thus, if the caller is responding relatively fast and without error to the voice message prompts, the system will gradually speed up subsequent voice message prompts. If the caller is responding more slowly to the voice message prompts or is making errors in their responses, the system will slow down subsequent voice message prompts. The system disclosed in O""Sullivan, however, does not perform the actions of a virtual assistant, nor does it permit the user to control how the system adapts.
Another caller adaptive VRS is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,121 to Martin et al. Martin et al. discloses a system for varying the voice menus and segments presented to the user of a voice response system according to the competence of the user. The response time of a user to voice prompts is measured and an average response time is determined. It is assumed that the lower the average response time, the greater the competence of the user. The average response time is used as an index to a table of ranges of response times. Each range has respective voice segments associated therewith. The voice segments comprise oral instructions or queries for the user and vary according to the anticipated competence of the user. If the average response time changes such that the voice segments indexed are different to the current voice segments then a data base containing information relating to user competence is updated to reflect such a change. Accordingly, when the user next interacts with the voice response system a new set of voice segments more appropriate to the user""s competence will be played. The system in Martin et al. also discloses determining user competence by identifying individual callers using existing caller identification technology. The call identification code of a telephone call can be used as an index to data stored in a user database comprising information relating to the competence of a user. Alternatively, the user can be asked to enter a password before further access is allowed to the system. The password can then serve as an index to the stored data associated with the user. The stored data identifies which set of voice data is appropriate for use during an interaction with said user. Alternatively, determining the number of times per day that a user accesses the system or the length of time which a user has subscribed to such a system may also be indicative of their competence. Again, VRS disclosed in Martin does not perform the functions of a virtual assistant, nor does it permit the use to have any significant degree of control over the behavior of the system.
Further, while the prior art systems adapt automatically to the caller, the degree of adaptation is relatively limited. For example, the prior art systems do not disclose a virtual assistant that automatically uses words associated with polite discourse when the user""s input contains words associated with polite discourse. Prior art systems also do not disclose a virtual assistant that adapts to the user based on the user""s emotional state.
The present invention relates to a personal virtual assistant with many discrete features, each of which comprises a separate but related invention. Thus, one aspect of the present invention is a computer-based virtual assistant the behavior of which can be changed by the user, comprising a voice user interface for inputting information into and receiving information from the virtual assistant by speech, a communications network, a virtual assistant application running on a remote computer, the remote computer being electronically coupled to the user interface via the communications network, wherein the behavior of the virtual assistant changes responsive to user input.
Another aspect of the present invention is a computer-based virtual assistant that automatically adapts its behavior comprising a voice user interface for inputting information into and receiving information from the virtual assistant by speech, a communications network, a virtual assistant application running on a remote computer, the remote computer being electronically coupled to the user interface via the communications network, wherein the remote computer is programmed to automatically change the behavior of the virtual assistant responsive to input received by the virtual assistant. As detailed below, the virtual assistant adapts to the user in many different ways based on the input the virtual assistant receives. Such input could be user information, such as information about the user""s experience, the time between user sessions, the amount of time a user pauses when recording a message, the user""s emotional state, whether the user uses words associated with polite discourse, and the amount of time since a user provided input to the virtual assistant during a session.
Other features and advantages will become apparent based on the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the claims.